Polar Bear Blog

Riding Motorcycles in Winter, on purpose!
Thanks to the AMA Polar Bear Grand Tour.

Polar Bear Motorcycles
by: Chris Loynd

If you've stumbled onto this page out of curiosity, you're welcome to stay and read the saga of riding motorcycles in the winter.

Several of us from Connecticut, participate in the Polar Bear Grand Tour, a winter-long set of destination rides sanctioned by the American Motorcycle Association (AMA): www.PolarBearGrandTour.com.

Last year I figured my Polar Bear (PB) missives would be a good excuse to try this blogging thing. I enjoy writing and the antics of my fellow Polar Bears often provide good fodder. There were some pretty good stories over the past years. But they were written in transient e-mails now lost. I never expected this blog to reach out much beyond my Connecticut compatriots. But as the weeks went on and the stories grew, so did the blog's popularity.

Me, Chris Loynd, on my
very first Polar Bear ride.
To read the story of that
first ride, follow this link:
Polar Bear Story.

Our fellow PB riders throughout the tri-state area have e-mailed me or said hello at the Sunday meets to say how they enjoy reading about our adventures.

This blog allows me to preserve some great memories and to share them with my fellow Polar Bear motorcycle riders, you, and anyone else in the world. Enjoy! So despite my first editor's warning about committing to a weekly column, here it us, usually posted by the Wednesday after our Sunday ride.

If you're interested in riding with us from Connecticut, it is very informal. Each rider is responsible for his or her own safety. We meet at the Stratford (Conn.) Dunkin' Donuts, I-95, Exit 30, at the corner of Lordship Blvd., and Honeyspot Rd. Departure times for the coming week are posted at the bottom of the past week's blog entry.
Chris Loynd [email protected]

Polar Bear Riders from 2004. Full face helmets, plenty of layers and electric clothing keep us toasty.

Please keep in mind I sometimes exaggerate here in an attempt at humor. I make no promises for the veracity of any statements. No warranty is expressed or implied. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited.

Read this blog with a very big grain of salt. (And discount anything Russ Curtis tells you by at least 30 percent!)

Rides:

Use your REFRESH button to see the latest entries.

Join the CT Polar Bear Riders!

South Augusta, NJ; March 16

Week 21 Bears at the wondrous Chatterbox, from left: Bernie, Captain K., Ken, Grumpy (back from Florida),
Chris, your absentee blogger and Matt, our adopted CT Bear.
(photo by Johnny B.)

Even after two months I remember the corned beef and Irish soda bread. It was the day before St. Patrick's Day and the chef at the Chatterbox offered an authentic Irish treat.

This ride was also just before an early Easter and the Easter bunny showed up wearing a Polar Bear vest.

We had a bit of rain, but never too heavy. It kept the turnout low, though.

Randy was there from New Hampshire, riding all the way on his KTM dirt bike.

A Note from fellow CT Bear Russ:

Hi Chris, Thanks for the update. I've been keeping track of the PB's via the Blog. Always interesting and informative. Seems if I'm not doing family stuff I'm sick. I have a bad cold or the flue now. I also have a three year old grandson who is expecting a new baby sister this month so grandpa has been babysitting. He's to little to ride and to big to fit in the saddle-bag or I would get him some electrics and make him a ( pb-cub.)

Ride Safe
ILBCNU
Russ

Bare Naked Lady from John H.:

It's not what you think.

I thought I would send you a picture of a bare naked lady (get your mind out of the gutter � I am referring to my ST with the tupperware removed!). I decided to add an electrically operated windshield, new switch set to work it, new H4 brighter headlights and modulator, new thermostat (the old one was indeed stuck partially open), flush the cooling system and replace the coolant (probably for the first time in it�s life). Remarkably everything works as intended and I do not have any coolant leaks, took her for 180+ miler on Sunday and have commuted every day this week so far; I am ready to ride the PB tour.

Langhorne, PA; March 30

Week 22 Bears, from left: John, John, John and of course, John.
(photo by John)

I missed this ride for Motorcycle Safety Foundation training, my start on an incredible and intense experience to learn to be a MSF motorcycle instructor. Fortunately, John reported on the ride and John also sent pictures. Here's John's synopsis of the ride to Brian's HD:

Hi Chris:

Hope your ride was as nice as ours was? As always the ride started at the Dunkin.

Today's participants were in the order of their appearance, John K., John J., John B. and John H. at the usual spot off I-287.

We left the Dunkin at 9:00 AM with John in the lead and John as sweep leaving John in the cradle and went south on I-95. We hooked up with John on the way.

John.
(photo by John)

The trip south for the most part was uneventful until we were westbound on I-195 at which time John's GPS must have got dizzy cause we went in a circle. Once reoriented we continued on our way but John became unsure and John took over the lead.

Going forward John became reassured and decided to take back the lead and than promptly missed the exit again. Again with John's help he found his way but remained confused and John finally finished the trip to Brian's.

We got our group photo. Mat found us and we went to check in. After check in we went upstairs to eat. They had delicious meat-ball mini-subs with salad and chips.

After the meal we said our goodbye's and before we left the lot decided we could make it at least another 30 to 40 miles before gassing up.

John.
(photo by John)

John lead the way and off we went north on I-95. When we reached the New Jersey Turnpike, John realized that we had already traveled almost 30 miles and there was no gas yet.

He than slowed down to conserve fuel while the rest of the group led by John charged ahead. After a short while the group slowed to let John catch up and then John's bike sputtered to a stop, he was able to restart and went a short distance before it was all over and he was dry.

As the group pulled over to assist John John kept going and made to the gas stop at this point only about 2 miles ahead.

Before John could turn around after filling up, the rest of the group arrived with John in tow with a piece of rope they found on the roadway.

John.
(photo by John)

Somebody up their must like John. On fill up we had 4.9, 5.2, ? and 4.9 gallons. We than went to the top of the Garden State Parkway, had coffee and went home.

And that's the truth according to John.

John.
(photo by John)

Matt.
(photo by John)

Rich's finger.
(photo by John)

John reacts to John's report:

If THAT does not make the Blog, there are going to be a few John's that going to gang up on ONE Chris! LOL.

So does John:

This John took on �.well, it wouldn�t be right to tell would it. I have a version of the trip that was authorized for publication by Honda Powersports of North America, but then I really would like to finish the season with a couple of good rides with y�all.

�a ride to remember.

Have a good week till next week.J.

Point Pleasant Beach, NJ; April 6

Week 23 Bears, from left: Grand PoohBah Bob, honorary CT Bear Matt, John H., Bernie, John K., Chris your blogger and John J.
(photo by our waitress)

Either Easter came early or our ride fell late, but a calendar anomaly meant that Jenkinson's Pavilion was open for the season this year for our Polar Bear ride. And that meant the parking lot we usually use was charging for the privilege.

Our organizers arranged alternate accommodations a few blocks away. Still there was a lot of confusion as Polar Bears parked along the main drag and side streets. We found the designated parking lot a few blocks down. There were not many other bikes in the lot. I guess after all that riding, folks did not cotton to walking.

It was not the best weather either. Cold and spitting rain off and on, the wind was whipping from the ocean side. A year ago we had a summer preview. This year was more like a last blast of winter.

I suppose that is appropriate for our penultimate ride of the season. Turns out it was my last Polar Bear ride.

We had to walk a bit from parking to Jenkinson's.
(photo by Chris)

People sometimes get the wrong idea about Polar Bears. I cannot answer for my fellow Bears, but for me it is not so much that I enjoy riding in winter with all those layers of clothing, electrics, full face helmet, etc.

It is more that I choose not to give up riding for four months or more just because the weather turns a bit inhospitable.

After you deal with the weather, the rest of the Polar Bear motorcycling is just as fine as on a warm summer day.

There's still the great feeling of riding on two wheels, the bike responsive to your every input.

The friends are as good as summer, maybe better. Often from disparate backgrounds, on a variety of bikes, still we share the sheer joy of motorcycling.

Bob makes a point with Matt and John J.
(photo by Chris)

Friends are maybe even stronger in Polar Bearing. The weather itself makes a cut. Fair weather riders join us for a ride or two or three.

Only the hard core ride most every Sunday. Not that everyone makes every Sunday. Not every bear sticks with us season-to-season.

Seems every season we pick up some new guys and lose some others. Even with the extra distance riding from Connecticut, you have to make a fair number of Sundays to earn the Polar Bear Patch.

John J. joined us mid-season and still proudly earned his patch on this, the next to last run.

It is an achievement in motorcycling like no other.

There are thousands of Iron Butt riders. Not to diminish the accomplishment of riding 1,000 miles in 24 hours or less. I've done it, the minimum standard for an Iron Butt patch.

But by the numbers there are just 550 registered Polar Bears every season. Only a portion of them earn the patch.

A smaller percentage earn the gold rocker.

Then there are the few fanatics that also earn a perfect attendance pin.

John Jackson proudly displays his Polar Bear
patch and rocker, his first.
(photo by Chris)

Our Connecticut full-fledged fanatic is Captain John Kammerer.

He again earned a perfect attendance pin, second season in a row. He had to drive his car through ice and snow storms to do it.

Thanks to his Connecticut home, which racks up extra riding miles, along with his numerous bonus trips to the New Jersey blood bank, John puts up a very big points number each season.

Running a close second is John Bowlan, Grumpy. Last year he earned the perfect attendance pin. Last year he even organized his annual Daytona run around the Polar Bears so as not to miss a meet.

This year he didn't go for perfect attendance. All the same he drove with John K. in a couple of snow and ice storms, just for fun.

John K. at top of Garden State Parkway.
That's John H. in the background.
(photo by Chris)

Then there's our adopted CT Bear, Matt. He rode with us twice . . . from Connecticut. That means he got up extra early and rode all the way from his home in New Jersey, up to Connecticut, only to turn around again and ride back to our Polar Bear destination near his home.

Matt also rode north with us to our traditional stop at the top of the Garden State Parkway. Then we would head on to home and he would too. Only we were on our way home and Matt had already passed his by miles.

For me, this was the year I dropped the blog. Sorry fans. It is more work than you might imagine. And I simply had too much more going on in my life to keep up with all of it.

Fortunately, there is always next year. God willing I will see you in October, here and on the road.

Matt our adopted CT Bear.
(photo by Chris)

Weather was wintry. (photo by Chris)	Dave and Rich at sign-in. (photo by Chris)
Suiting up for the ride home from Chez GSP. (photo by Chris)	Captain K's latest farkle, propellers. No, they're only decorative. (photo by Chris)

Cape May, NJ; April 13

Week 24 Bears, from left are Johns: H., J., K. and B.
(photo by B.)

I missed our last ride of the season. I signed up for training to be a Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor. The time commitment knocked me out of the final Polar Bear run to Cape May. I was also too jammed to make the banquet this year also. Well, as I said at the end of the entry above, there is always next year, God willing and the river don't rise.

Here is a report from my correspondent, Captain John K.

Hi Chris:

How's the training going, you must be exhausted? The saga continues!

As always the ride started at the Dunkin. Today's participants were in the order of their appearance, John B., John J., John K. and we picked up John H. at the usual spot off I-287.

A near sunrise start.
(photo by Johnny B.)

We left the Dunkin at 6:55 a.m. After yielding the lead to John, off we went. John was sweep, of course, leaving John in the cradle.

We headed south on I-95 and hooked up with John on the way. The trip south for the most part was uneventful with a mean looking weather front to the west but the sky clearing to the south.

Prior to departure John discussed with all present that we would head south at 65 mph + or - and stop at about 175 miles for fuel and a break.

But alas with John in the lead the petal was to the metal for the first 100 miles so. At about mile marker 80 on the GSP John was looking to stop for gas but he was alone with that thought and continued south with the group.

A few of the other early arrivals.
(photo by Johnny B.)

At mile marker 53 John desperately notified John that he needed gas, so John pulled into the service area. Fuel and a pit stop and off we went. John only took 4.6 gallons of fuel.

We arrived at the VFW at 10:40 a.m. John set up the camera for the group shot and our fearless leader Bob's weekly photo. Flight Leader "B" Rich was introducing his new Gold Wing.

We than started the line at the door which Bob opened at 11:20 AM. At check in, which is the last for this season John H. received his 60 point pin having a final total of 61 points for the year. John K. received his second perfect attendance pin and finished with 106 points. John B. closed out the year with 66 points. Our newest member John J. finished with 37 points.

Rich and Lew chatting outside.
(photo by Johnny B.)

Lunch consisted of hotdogs and chili with John heaping on the onions. We headed home after our good byes at 11:50 a.m. with John again in the lead. Stopped at mile marker 99 for gas and John volunteered to keep on his rain suit for the rest of the trip to discourage the rain which only made one brief appearance.

We continued northbound to the top of the parkway and stopped for coffee, which John graciously picked up the tab (what a guy!!).

Turnout looked to be on the light side in Cape May, but then we may have been too early. We also missed Matt. I arrived home about 4:30 p.m., covering 468 miles today, good ride.

From all of us to Bob and his crews, THANKS for another great season, see you at the annual banquet.

And that's the gospel according to John 4:13.

A light but recorded early turnout.
(photo by Johnny B.)

Captain K. and Polar Bear Admiral Bob H.
(photo by Johnny B.)

Polar Bears in sunny Cape May, N.J.
(photo by Johnny B.)

John Kammerer, the Captain, signs the book for his second perfect attendance.
(photo by John H.)

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